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Special 25-cent circulation coin is the third of five 2011 commemorative
coins honouring Canada's legendary nature

OTTAWA, Jan. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Mint is pleased to
announce that Canadians can soon collect a new 2011-dated 25-cent
circulation coin celebrating Canada's Wood Bison. This coin, which
enters circulation on January 16, 2012, has been preceded by a
one-dollar circulation coin dedicated to the centennial of Parks Canada
and a two-dollar coin featuring Canada's Boreal Forest. It will soon be
followed by 25-cent coins featuring the Orca and Peregrine Falcon, as
this commemorative series concludes. All five of these special
circulation coins are inspired by the theme of "our legendary nature" a
core element of Canadian pride and identity.

"The Royal Canadian Mint is proud that its five special commemorative
circulation coins, produced at its Winnipeg, Manitoba facility and
honouring Canada's legendary natural heritage are a permanent tribute
to one of Canada's greatest national treasures," said Ian E. Bennett,
President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "As a majestic example of
Canada's abundant wildlife, as well as a great conservation success
story, the Wood Bison belongs on a special 25-cent circulation coin
which Canadians of all ages can collect, learn about and enjoy."

The Wood Bison is uniquely Canadian, as it is only in Canada that it can
be found in the wild. Though 200,000 Wood Bison once prospered in the
woodlands of the Canadian West, only mere hundreds survived by the
early 1900s because of overhunting and human encroachment. Thanks to
the work of Parks Canada in Wood Buffalo and Elk Island National Parks,
the nearly extinct Wood Bison population has bounced back to number
more than 10,000. The introduction of Wood Bison at Chitek Lake and
Lake Winnipegossis in the 1990s is also helping expand this precious
animal's range to Manitoba.

In celebration of this remarkable story, the Mint's newest 25-cent
circulation coin features an artistic interpretation of a Wood Bison,
which is enhanced by the addition of green colour (symbolizing the
forest) on half of the 12.5 million circulation coins dedicated to this
theme. The Mint remains unique in the world by being the only producer
of coloured circulation coins since 2004.

The Mint will also invite the public to trade their loose change for the
25-cent Wood Bison circulation coin at its boutiques in Ottawa and
Vancouver from January 16-18, as well as in Winnipeg, from January
17-18.

A free illustrated collector card in which all five coins in the Legendary Nature series can be kept, will also be distributed to the public at these
locations, as well as special Mint coin exchanges, such as the Mint's
appearance at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg on January
13. While supplies last, Canadians may also visit www.mint.ca/legendary to order the collector card, as well as to exchange three dollars for a
special "circulation pack" of twelve new 25-cent circulation coins
featuring the Wood Bison, Orca and Peregrine Falcon. Each pack contains
two coloured and two non-coloured versions of each coin.

Our Legendary Nature Collector Coins Available
The public can also order a special uncirculated coin set as well as a
variety of gold and silver collector coins complementing the compelling series of 2011
commemorative circulation coins. This selection of finely crafted,
limited-edition collector coins featuring the Wood Bison; the Orca; and
the Peregrine Falcon; and Canada's boreal forest includes a series of
four 50-cent 1/25 ounce 99.99% pure gold coins (each retailing for $139.95 CAD) and four $10 face value 99.99% pure silver coins (each retailing for $69.95 CAD).

In addition to 2011 silver dollar collector products honouring the centennial of Parks Canada, these new collector coins can
be directly ordered from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada or
1-800-268-6468 in the US; on the Internet at www.mint.ca; at the Mint's boutiques in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver; or through
our network of distributors, including participating Canada Post
outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the
minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO
9001-2008 certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the
largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of
specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an
international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and
services, visit www.mint.ca.